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overall great buy for puzzle fans

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! Is a puzzle game that was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009 and is the 1st version as the Mario Vs Donkey Kong games available on the Ds, and second Mario Vs Donkey Kong game over (as it was a follow up of the GBA game which was quite popular in 2004).In this game, the aim is to guide 3 Mini Mario wind ups though Mazes and Obstacles without letting him die, this sounds easy however the Mario's do not ever stop and it can be hard keeping track of all your wind up dolls.

This game has a little story though out it, which gives it a more interesting twist to other puzzle games, here is a brief overview of the plot:Mario is at a grand opening of a theme park called 'Super Mario Mini Land' and the guest of honour at this opening is a 'celebrity' called Pauline, Donkey Kong is in the audience at the big event and takes a notion of Pauline, Mario and Donkey Kong both offer Pauline Mini Ty versions of themselves, Pauline accepts Mario's toy and this makes Donkey Kong angry and jelous. He kidnaps Pauline and takes her into an elevator to the roof tops of the Theme Park, Mario can't follow Donkey Kong to save her so he decides to send 3 Mini Mario Wind Ups in to save her instead to save Pauline.... and the games begin!

There are quite a few puzzles in game, they are all divided into different levels and worlds, each level gets harder as you progress. You guide Mario though the levels with the DS Stylus Pen moving the Mario's left and right on the screen and also in some cases drawing different platforms, move up or down pipes or ladders and also making Mario jump over or avoid his enemies.There are 8 different 'floors' of the Theme Park to climb with 9 different levels to complete per floor also a mini game and then finally the Donkey Kong level are also on each floor, this is a good amount of levels and games to play and makes the game worth the money that I spent on it. It took me over a week (of casual gameplay) to complete all the levels on this game and I still have not got all the coins to complete it 100%.

You also need to collect 3 coins in each level to finish the game 100%, these are easy to get at the start, and then get harder as the game gets harder, this feature of the game gives your brain more to think about and gives the game more playability in my opinion. There are also 9 cards per floor that when you collect them all it spells MINIMARIO, the cards get harder to gain as you progress in the game.You can create your own levels within the construction mode in this game, this is also quite fun as you can think up really hard puzzles to complete yourself or maybe challenge your friends with your self made levels.

The interface on this game is really easy to understand and it does not take long to navigate through to where you want to go in the game from the title screen.

The graphics on this game are what you would expect from the Nintendo ds, they are bright colourful and cartoon styled, they could be described as quite child-like compared to games available on the Xbox or Playstation, but I think that this is what attracts Nintendo fans as games are light hearted and fun to play/look at. The music on this game is motivating and gets you pumped up to participate in the puzzles. It is upbeat and is not out of place compared to what you would normally find in a Nintendo game.I bought this game in HMV for £35 when it first came out, this is quite expensive for a ds game as in general Mario games are normally more expensive. You can also buy this game in Game, GameStop, Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys or online, I am sure that these stores also stock the game in around this price or even maybe cheaper as it has been out for a while.

Overall I think that this is a great Puzzle game, I really enjoy the Mario Vs Donkey Kong games and this one was no exeption, it's also nice that it has a game story and plot throughout it. I think this makes the game more interesting. Some of the levels can be very challenging, though it would be boring if they were too easy and trying to get all the coins and cards also gives the game a bit more longevity. I think that this was a great buy, though a bit expensive. I would recommend it to anyone who loves Mario and would like to play a puzzle game with a bit of a difference to it.

*also on ciao under lorrainek90*

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Well worth a look

I found this game hugely addictive when I first bought it and that was only because, having completed Mario Kart on the DS, I needed something else to play! Saw March of the Minis on Amazon for £15 which I was chuffed about 'cos in Woolies it was £29.99. So I bought it, stuck it in the cartridge slot and was addicted for the next few days. It IS a very short game; you can go through the entire thing in under a week. But after that, I set myself new challenges such as trying to get silver stars on every level (difficult) and then trying to get gold stars on them all (still trying!). The levels are harder as you go through the game but I found that in all levels, there are at least a couple of very easy screens which can be completed on the first try.

When I first played it, I was concentrating on trying to collect all the coins - you don't need to do this; try instead to get all of your mini marios out of the door in one go (a chain); get any gold ones out last and do this in the fastest time possible - this is where you get high scores.

It's a fairly quick and easy game to get through but I still loved it. It's fun and has hilarious sound effects from the mini mario's.

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Training the brain in a fun way!!!!

I think the game is really addictive and realy cool.It gets the brain cells working which is a god thing sometimes and it has got lots of levels.You have to get the mini marios to the mario door.You tap on them to get them moving and help them get to the door by moving the floor, objects and directing them with the stylus.There is diferent parts to each level or floor and when you get to the end of the level you have to defeat donkey kong, which that can sometimes be tricky.The amount of mini marios on each bit can differ but as long as you get one to the door you can move to the next stage. If you get all to the door and in a certain amount of time you can get a silver or gold star.i have enjoyed it and have took over the ds from my son when hes got it on.

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new touch-screen controls, level creator and coluorful presentation make this a fun puzzle game

One of the staples of the Mario franchise is spin-off games, from quality RPGs like Mario & Luigi, to...not-so-quality games like Super Mario World Pinball. Now comes another spin-off: Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. Though it is a sequel to the GameBoy Advance original, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, it plays quite differently. While March of the Minis is not a traditional Mario platformer, the game does a decent job of capturing the spirit of a Mario game, and provides a fun (albeit short) game play experience.

The game begins with a poor excuse for a plot, which isn't even alluded to throughout the rest of the game. Thanks to the huge success of Mario's newest products, the Minis, a new Mini Mario Theme Park is opening. The guest of honor is none other than Pauline, Mario's first romantic interest. Donkey Kong, jealous of Mario, kidnaps Pauline and takes her to the top floor of the building; from there, it's up to Mario, with the help of his Minis, to rescue Pauline and save the day! While it seems as if there's actually some potential in the plot, it's thrown to waste, sadly. Aside from the cutscene that you view at the beginning of the game, there's no plot whatsoever throughout the game. The plot begins strong and seems promising, but it's never developed to it's full possibility. Unfortunately, this takes away some potential goodness from the overall gaming experience.

The crux of March of the Minis is the game play, and the interesting way that the game is controlled. You use the stylus for the entire game; all of your commands to your Minis are executed through strokes and taps of the stylus. For example, to make a Mini go a certain way, you simply slide the stylus in that direction; to make a mini jump, just tap it. Control is intuitive and makes sense, and they definitely contribute to the ease of the game. Game play, also, is interesting in March of the Minis. The game is divided up into floors; on each floor, there are 8 levels. Each level is, in essence, a puzzle. The object is always to guide each Mini (ranging from 2 to 5 in each level) to the exit gate of the puzzle. It seems simple, and it often is. However, there are a number of enemies and obstacles that will get in your Minis' way; the Minis are fragile, and will be easily broken if they encounter any sort of danger. Unfortunately, the obstacles are too easy to be of much note. Instead of being a difficult, bran-wracking puzzle game, it rather becomes a tedious, monotonous game. You do not have to think hard about how to avoid most obstacles, so the game becomes more about executing the same couple of tasks over and over again, in an effort to make sure all your Minis make it safely. The sad truth is, the puzzles are just too easy to be of any worth.

Another aspect of game play that makes March of the Minis far too easy is the requirements for beating a level. It is not to get all of your Minis to the gate; instead, you only have to get one through to successfully complete the level. This means that even on a puzzle that offers a shred of difficulty, you still do not have to be very good; if you get lucky (which happens way too often) and get one Mini through the gate, then the level will be cleared.

Yet another problem with March of the Minis is its length. The game ends all too soon, and the ending seems sudden. It is quite possible to breeze through this game in a few hours. In addition to the fact that the game is so easy, the levels themselves are also very short. You never have more than 200 seconds to complete a level, and often they can be completed in 50 seconds. Also, you will rarely have to replay any levels; they're easy enough that anyone competent should be able to beat them on the first try.

However, that's not to say that March of the Minis is not a good game, because there are certainly some strong points about it that help pull it out of the mire it's descended into. One great thing about the game is, ironically, the game play. While it is very easy and can quickly become boring, it can also be very addictive. If you've ever experienced "One More Turn Syndrome" (caused usually by games like Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and Final Fantasy Tactics), then you'll appreciate what this game has to offer. Once you get in the groove of solving puzzles, it's pretty difficult to stop, and you may forget it's simplicity thanks to the shocking addictiveness of the game. Also serving to make the game addictive is the very fact that levels seem so short. Because the puzzles can be beaten quickly and relatively easily, it doesn't seem like much to try just one more puzzle. Trust me: if you give this game a chance, you'll find yourself constantly saying to yourself, "Just one more level-after all, it'll only take a minute." It's surprisingly nice that despite this game's occasional monotony, it can certainly provide for some fun, sleepless nights.

By far the greatest part of March of the Minis' game play is the special features that each of the levels possess. All of the levels have a theme, and obstacles and enemies that you encounter in that floor will relate directly to the theme of the floor. For example, in the Haunted House floor, you will encounter Shy Guys and invisible walls; in the Jungle floor, you will encounter forest-themed decor. While some of the floor's themes are a bit mundane, others are pretty creative and provide a ton of fun. For example, in the Magnet Mania floor, there are a myriad of magnetized walls through the puzzles, which your Minis can walk upon. The magnets provide more intricate game play, makes puzzles slightly more challenging, and, as a result, make the floor overall more fun.

The game also offers decent replay value, thanks to some unlockables and the ranking system. On every puzzle, you will get a score based on a variety of elements: how quickly it was completed, number of Minis successfully delivered to the goal, etc. Based on your score, you will receive a bronze, silver, or gold star. It's a pretty rewarding feeling to get a gold star on a level, and there's something unique about the ranking system in March of the Minis. In most games, ranks serve no particular purpose; rather, they're there for the perfectionist players, who want to be perfect on every level. However, in March of the Minis, collecting high ranks actually serves a purpose; once you beat the game, you may unlock an additional floor of puzzles (that means 8 more) if you have a certain number of silver medals. There are also other less mundane unclockables available in March of the Minis.

The graphics also come as a bit of a shock. In many puzzle games for the DS, such as Tetris, Meteos, and Magnetica, graphics are obviously low on the list of priorities. However, because March of the Minis is not a straight-up puzzler, there is the potential for decent, if not great, graphics. Luckily, the developers have capitalized completely on that potential. The game's graphics are bright, colorful, and beautiful looking. While it's true that the game is only in 2D, the game's cheery graphics, which perfectly complement the feel of the game, prove what graphic potential DS games can have.

The boss battles, surprisingly, contrast the majority of the game and provide a genuinely fun gaming experience. In each boss battle, Donkey Kong appears on the upper screen. You must shoot your Minis from a cannon and hit Donkey Kong a certain number of times to defeat him. The number of Minis you have as ammo depends on the number of Minis that you lead to success on the floor. So, if you did poorly on most of the puzzles on a level, it will be difficult to defeat Donkey Kong. The boss battles do grow slightly repetitive, thanks to the fact that you're fighting the same boss in a similar fashion over and over again. However, the monotony is slightly alleviated by the slight originality that each battle possesses. Each time you fight DK, there will be an extra element of the fight; for example, DK may jump from platform to platform, or unleash fireballs at you. These elements prevent the boss battles from falling into mediocrity, and instead cause them to be a pretty enjoyable part of the game.

The true saving grace of March of the Minis is the level creator. It's well done, very fun, and provides numerous extra hours of game play time. You are given a huge, blank grid, and you may fill it in with whatever you so desire: platforms, obstacles, and enemies. Interestingly, the level editor may actually cause you to want to play more of the story mode. This is because for every map you use, you are allowed to use one theme; the themes all come from floors that you have cleared. For example, if you've cleared the Pipe Plaza floor, then in the level editor, you will have access to all the enemies and obstacles that you would find on that floor. It's a lot of fun to create levels and play them through. Since you can make your levels as difficult or as easy as you want, the level editor helps to offset the pathetic difficulty in the rest of the game.

Multiplayer mode is based entirely on the level editor, and is surprisingly enjoyable. Once you have created a puzzle and proved that it can be beaten (by beating it yourself), you may trade it to another player that has a copy of the game. You can trade over local wireless; however, it's even better to trade over WiFi. If you have someone's Friend Code, you may exchange maps that you have created; you can have a total of eight maps saved at one time, so you don't have to beat a map as soon as you receive it. Multiplayer is fun and simple to use, and will provide even more hours of game play time.

March of the Minis is an interesting game; unlike many games that seem awesome at first and slowly get worse, March of the Minis is not at all good at first; you need to let it grow on you. While it's not a difficult game, you can set the pace for the difficulty yourself with the level editor and through WiFi trading. Game play is fun and addicting, although it can become a bit monotonous, and the graphics are fantastic. If you're just looking for a game that will pass the time, then Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is the game for you. I have given the game 4 stars on the dooyoo scale but this is really a 7/10 game.

Typical price: £24.99 from GAME

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This review may also be found on other websites (see my profile for more details).

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good if you are 5

**** Mario vs donkey kong 2 - march of the minis ****

I bought this game because i was having a quick browse in my local gamestation and i noticed that it had mario and donkey kong on it. To be honest i didn't pay any attention to what the game was about-i just assumed it was 2 games in one or something like that.

The back on the game box tells you that it is mini mayhem in the super mini mario world theme park!!!Its opening day and dk has kidnapped the guest of honour Pauline!Rescue her with your own mini-army!!Guide your mini maros through danger using the stylus!Look out for hordes of mini-minions. Design unique levels and send them to your friends over ds wireless communications and nintendoo wi-fi connection.(wireless router or nintendo wi-fi usb connector and broadband access requires for online play.

Reading that i thought the game was going to be good but how wrong can you be?. The game is basically like lemmings.You have to get a hoard of mini marios to a door ,past several targets..

So basically thats it , the game is really that crap-the levels arent that hard and i didnt even have to think about what i was doing .On the plus side you could get this game for a five year old and they could probably quite easily complete it.

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A great, but sometimes challenging game for anyone looking to pass the time

This game is a great one for anyone looking for a reasonably challenging puzzle/platformer game. The game involves you trying to get the mini marios home from their various starting positions by dragging them with the touch screen. it sounds simple but some of the later levels will have you scratching your head. The game is presented in a nice style and each level has plenty of new obstacles and designs to keep you coming back for more. Each level has nine stages and after completing all nine a mini game and a simple boss battle become available. The game has a simple plot and is basically something that give you something to do when your bored or there is nothing on tele. The game is suitable for everyone, but the harder stages will require some thinking in order to progress past them. There is plenty of fun to be had with this game and although it does not tread any new ground it presents the concept in an imaginative, well designed way that makes you enjoy every second of the game.

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Product Details

Mario must take on his old nemesis Donky Kong! Who will win? In the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario was trying to find all the Mini Marios ... but this time, it's up to them to save the day. Players use the stylus and the touch screen to guide Mini Marios through mind-boggling, obstacle-filled levels. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 allows players to create their own maps with a new level editor. Once a map is created, players can send it across the world via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players also can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to download maps created by others, check out a player-ranking system and access special bonuses.